Dork Squad: The Ridorkulous Sequel
by Harnody
Summary: Noah, Cody and Harold are back! This time there will be more insanity, more romance and... emus? (N/C/H, NxE, CxK, HxL) Enjoy! Episode 1: Noah returns to CM University with his new girlfriend Emma, however he's far from the welcome wagon-Kicks, tears, matchmaking and the return of Courtney? What more could a man ask for? (Cody's advanced b-day fic)


**GUESS WHO'S BACK WITH AN ATTACK? To be fair, I'm not on a Total Drama Hype as much so don't expect frequent updates.**

 **DORK SQUAD'S SEQUEL, after almost a year later, IS ABOUT TO START! I'm still happy about how successful the first one was and I promised I'd do a sequel after the events of The Ridonculous Race, where the past contestants are lured into a trap—er I mean granted a scholarship at Chris McLean's University. It's going to be hella interesting… What will Noah, Cody, and Harold face this time?**

 **To put it briefly: same ol' bullies, new people crashing in, new love interests… and Cody and Harold's adjustment towards Noah's changed demeanor. For those who don't know, and I doubt that, Noah turned into a love-sick freak. But in this story, I'm going to make him behave the same way I always wanted him to in the original series… and he'll definitely learn to take his relationship more seriously instead of behaving like Dave and his obsession with Sky.**

 **Noah's back, new students are in, a new beginning, and a new chapter for all of you fans to enjoy. This will still contain NoDy sappiness… probably the most bromantic story of these two ever on the archive. And I'm going to write this story in such a way that NoDy, Nemma and whatever ship-name suits CodyxKitty do mix.**

 **Note that I will not tolerate disrespectful and unnecessary reviews. Enough said. Saying that this is the internet is a shitty excuse. Don't waste your time reading something you won't enjoy.**

 **Anyway, sorry for the long note. And without further ado, here's Chapter 1!**

* * *

__**Forget Me Not**

* * *

 _"Alright, did you get the 'props'?"_

"Affirmative."

 _"And you made her prepare the 'comestibles'?"_

"She's working on it as we speak."

 _"You excited to see me tomorrow?"_

"I am… for a reason."

 _"Weird. Somehow I can't remember what it is."_

"That's because you changed."

 _"This again? Seriously dude, move on already."_

"Not for a long time. Don't worry, pal, Operation HBC is coming into effect in approximately twenty-three hours, fourteen minutes and thirty-eight point five seconds. They won't know what hit them."

 _"Splendid. I'll see you tomorrow."_

 _The Chris McClain University_

 _I had to admit, Chris did a good job with the place. Of course, the government, and several threats from our parents forced him to take a bite out of his budget to make the building worthy of our presence. Study areas covered half of the building, there were enough lecture rooms located in the most convenient places, and the cafeteria? It's still the same… but who needs that when you can make your own food?_

 _Harold and I missed our old hangout back in high school. But who cares about that – we made a brand new hangout! It's got this modern, contemporary feel to it. Harold had Izzy help out with building the structure, while Sierra and I were in charge of managing the furniture and gadgets – we geeks can't live without those! Everything just fell into place and we no longer feel as nostalgic towards our old hangout cause this was the real deal. No one can kick us out except us._

 _Concerning Harold and I, we didn't seem to change that much. Harold's been trying to grow his facial hair more, but due to the effects of Anne Maria's hairspray – which drove him crazy forever ago – I don't think he'd be growing a beard for months. I haven't changed much either. People still make fun of me for having a baby face, but when Harold did so, he always made the same excuse being it was a compliment. I really can't see how flattering that sounds. I'm supposed to be a man!_

 _And speaking of me, I've had my own problems during Noah's absence. With Courtney taking over the school, she did everything she could to make my summer miserable. I had to wear safety gear before leaving the hangout! Things got worse between Sammy and I too. In fact, we broke up. She wanted to pursue her passion for cheerleading and I wanted to pursue my passion for being a tech guru, or even a billiards champion. We ended up going our separate ways without any further consequence. It was a safe way to break up, but I wasn't able to get back on my feet for a while. If it weren't for Harold and Sierra being around, I think I never would've been able to recover._

 _And Noah? Well, I don't think we'll be able to look at him the same way again. We've been watching him and Owen's performance since day one; and as the episodes went on, his demeanor was far from what we expected._

 _What started out as the same Noah being his usual self with Owen until the seventh episode began. Since then, Harold and I couldn't keep our jaws closed every time we watched Noah… reveal more of himself. It was not a good sight. Not only is he going soft on Emma, but also one of the contestants – that twin with the helmet – I mean, what's up with that?! Harold stated I was jealous of him giving a ring to that guy and I fully disagree with that. The episodes only got weirder for Noah, from seeing cliché movie several hundred times – one time, Harold told me he caught Noah curled up in a ball watching The Fault in Our Stars – to unwittingly flashing those sparkling eyes and that ear-to-ear grin. It sounds charming, but if you look at his face… it'll make you want to change the channel or skip the scene if you're watching it on YouTube._

 _In the end, Noah did indeed turn out like Dave: a lovesick freak. On the bright side, he didn't get his heart broken and his current girlfriend had an ex-boyfriend, not a current boyfriend. And after the entire series was over, Noah offered her a scholarship to study at CM. I got to say, I actually can't wait to meet her! And her sister… she's kinda cute!_

 _Chris is about to begin his next student orientation, which means that majority of The Ridonculous Race cast were chosen to study at his university. Given their experiences in the show, I'm sure they'll survive here. My birthday is only hours away, not that it matters anymore. Last year, even Sierra was too busy to remember my birthday until the day after! Harold had a date with LeShawna that night and got mad at me for not reminding him it was my birthday. I have no intention of letting anyone know anymore. For the longest time, birthdays have always been nothing more than April Fool's Day. Main target: me._

"Cody? Are you in here?" called a female voice. "The orientation is about to start!"

"Coming, Sierra…" Cody mumbled. As he hastily stuffed his belongings in his knapsack, he took his journal in hand and browsed through every page, filled with nothing but the memories he shared with his group and everyone else in the school. Only bought a month ago, Cody filled it more than halfway with every memory he could recall, up until the present. He felt slightly dejected when Sierra no longer called him 'Codykins', yet he was more relieved than ever and felt more comfortable being around her.

Sierra peeked into the room and stepped in with her hands on her hips. She looked much more mature than she used to be. She finally grew her hair back to its desired length. "Oh, Cody, you know we're not going to class, right? This is an orientation! Newbies are in and I need to update my new blog."

"Oh, right, uh…"

"But I don't mind you bringing anything like a notebook. My point is there's no need to carry a bag all the time!" Sierra giggled.

"Alright, fine!" Cody tossed the bag onto his bed and followed Sierra with a notebook in hand, or so he thought. As they walked across the hallway, Cody hummed for a moment before asking, "So, anything special you got planned for today?"

"Who, me?" Sierra asked dumbly. "Well, duh!"

"Really? So what's in that duffle bag you're carrying?" Cody felt himself grinning.

"Oh! I got all these fireworks to celebrate the new students' arrival. We're celebrating tonight, didn't you remember?'

The boy's face fell. "Oh... uh right, of course! I remember."

"Is something wrong?" Sierra asked, albeit she refused to meet his gaze and kept on smiling ahead. Cody's frown spread across his cheeks.

"No."

As they approached the front yard of the campus, Sierra shoved her way through to meet Harold, Izzy and Cameron, who saved their spots up front.

"Cody, there you are! Gosh, you're late," Harold groaned.

"Says the guy who takes two hours to fix his hair," Cody scoffed back.

"Hey, at least I put a lot of effort in taking care of myself. You on the other hand felt depressed all year!" Harold snapped.

"HEY!" Sierra shouted whilst slamming her fist on Harold's head. "Show some respect for someone who struggles!"

"Harold, I swear, if Anne Maria gave you another one of her ridiculous hair products again," Cody warned before getting intervened.

"Relax, I'm me. I promise. And I'm sorry. At least now you might feel better knowing Noah's coming… with a GIRLFRIEND!"

"Oh, I know right?" Sierra butted in. "That's, like, so out of character for Noah to just fall in love with someone like that!"

"Tell me about it!" Izzy stepped in. "And I'm so glad Big-O's been giving him the love advice we share for each other. But I have to admit, when I looked into those sparkling eyes… that was NOT the Noah I loved to annoy."

"And hey, you know what that means?" Harold began.

"You're gonna kick Noah, aren't you?" Cody stepped back as Harold flashed his fist.

"Hard."

"Why?" Sierra asked.

"We made a bet last year that if Noah acts like Dave before getting a girlfriend, Harold's going to kick him."

"Bold. I'd like to see that!" Izzy squealed.

"Can it, Peanut Gallery!" Chris shouted. "I've been trying to get your attention for five minutes!"

"That's a new record," Duncan mocked.

"Anyway, I'm here with The Ridonculous Race's host, Don, and he's going to introduce all the new victims—er I mean students of our latest University. One month ago, your former high school president, Noah, thanks to Owen's charisma, has granted a scholarship to a few (un)lucky students willing to study at _my_ university," Chris announced.

"It's great to work alongside you, McLean, for I am a huge fan of your sadism. And without further ado, I welcome not only students, but as well as instructors who will be taking part in teaching you some extracurricular activities this university has to offer.

"For our students, please welcome "The Geniuses", Mary and Ellody!" Don began. "Please join your new colleagues."

"It's a pleasure to be here, Don, courtesy of my cousin, Courtney," Ellody spoke.

"You have a cousin?" Duncan commented. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Shut up!" Courtney spat.

Mary parted from her friend and walked over to where Cody and Harold were. "So, I guess you do study here after all! I guess we'll be classmates in a way."

"Wait to get off the show early, sis," Harold teased.

"Sis!?" Cody stammered. "We've been watching the show since episode one and you haven't told me this?!"

"I wanted to tell you but after she lost, I decided not to bring it up."

"Oh. By the way, uh, besides tonight, is there anything else you got planned?" Cody mumbled.

Harold rested a hand on his chin and gazed at the clouds. "Other than visiting my dermatologist, I'm good."

"Okay." Cody's face fell once more, which Harold hesitantly dismissed.

After other former contestants such as The Hipsters, Stepbrothers, Best Friends, and Rockers were introduced, Don went on to introduce the Stepbrothers, Larpers and Kelly's daughter, Taylor into the campus. "And since some of our former contestants are a little too underaged to be college students, they will be taking up their final high school year in the western campus down on that end," Don continued. "Back to our introductions, here we have the Goths."

"Okay, I've seen the Ridonculous Race and I am deeply in love with their taste in fashion," Gwen complimented alongside her boyfriend, Trent.

"I guess that means we got two new roommates," Trent chuckled.

"Having them around may be great, but I think I'm better off sharing my dormitory with just one special somebody," Gwen calmly admitted. Trent smirked and wrapped an arm around her.

"And the Adversity Twins," Don went on.

Cody squinted at the twins, especially Mickey, who was asked to remove his helmet by Jay.

"Jealous?" Harold teased.

"No. I'm envious," Cody rephrased.

"Great! Next to the obsolete ear kiss, we have Noah giving Mickey a ring!" Izzy spoke in a deep voice.

"Can it, Izzy! The ear kiss is a gag long gone. Move on already!" Cody snapped.

"And here we have our weakest team, the Larpers." Instead of hearing the crowd, all they heard were chirping crickets, which later ceased within seconds.

"My silence spell worked!" Leonard exclaimed. "Let's go, Tammy."

"NO! I'VE BEEN CHEATED ON!" Sugar cried.

"Ha! Serves you right," mocked Amy.

"Here are our first season's champions: Geoff and Brody!" Don announced further. Without further ado, Geoff ran out of the limousine and into his girlfriend's arms, peppering her faces with kisses.

"Babe! I've never felt so happy to see you again! How was the surfing tournament?" Geoff asked.

"I won! First place, baby!" Bridgette squealed.

"Yeah! Power couple for the win!" The two shared an intimate kiss with Brody arriving just before them.

"Way to smooch, dude! Hey Bridge!"

"Sup, Brody!" Bridgette greeted. "I'm glad you guys had fun!"

"Totes, babe! Now, tell us all about your trip to Australia."

"And next up are the sisters and the reality TV pros, which I'm sure all of you current students are well aware of."

"Great, there goes my position… again," Courtney groaned. Cody overheard her through the boisterous crowd and snickered. "Thank goodness…" he mumbled to himself.

As Noah and Cody's eyes met from the crowd, they were stunned for a moment to see how much they changed over the course of one year. Their usual attires were slightly altered, and Noah's hair had a bit of a mess touch to it, which may have attracted Emma more. And speaking of Emma, she's beautiful, he thought. The two really do deserve each other. Within the thought he felt a sense of loneliness. Is this what he came to after suffering these past twelve months?

"Sierra," he muttered.

"Yes?"

"I…" _want to be alone_ , was what he wanted to say. "I need to use the bathroom. Don't wait for me if I take long!"

"What? Why? You can't stay long! We still have… other events going on after the welcome ceremony," Sierra protested.

"Thanks, but I think I'll just go home." Cody turned around and began to walk his way through the crowd. Sierra took several steps forward but stopped.

"What about Noah? Don't you wanna see him again?"

Cody paused for a moment and shifted his head slightly. "Thanks, Sierra, but I don't want to get in the way of his time with Emma. I'll be fine!" As he continued to walk away, he bumped into one of the cheerleaders, Samey.

"Hey Co—are you okay?" Samey asked with concern as she noticed his head hanging. Cody's lips quivered. Yet when he lifted his head, he forced out a grin.

"Who, me? Yeah of course! I just need some alone time." Before she could press on, Cody gently pushed past her and disappeared, leaving her confused for a moment until Amy grabbed her wrist.

"Stop looking into the distance, Sparemey! Our cousin, Taylor, needs us!" Amy nagged, leaving Samey to sigh helplessly.

"Noah! Yo, Noah over here! OWEN!" Izzy yelled within the crowd. "HEY!"

"Noah, look, it's Izzy! Hey Iz! I missed you!" Owen called back.

"Who?" Noah jokingly replied. Unfortunately, he received a blow to the head after Izzy threw a pencil at him. "I was kidding! Don't you remember me at all?!"

"I don't remember the guy who drools like a derp over a girl!" Izzy retorted.

"Isn't that the crazy girl from the first season?" Emma questioned.

"Did you have to ask? I had to put up with her for three seasons and for the near entirety of high school," he answered monotonously.

"I figured. Shall we go meet them?"

"Sure."

"Come on, Kits." When Emma didn't hear a response, she looked back. "Kitty, that limo is not a mobile home. Get out of there."

"I know, I know!" Kitty yelled from the back seat. "I was just taking a selfie with the driver."

"Right… just don't give him your phone number."

"I won't. The university's bound to have tons of cute boys to pine over!" Kitty stepped off the limousine and walked alongside Owen.

"I think I might know a guy," Noah mumbled for only Emma to hear.

"Really? Who?"

"You'll see."

"Hey, Cody, Noah's he—Cody?" Harold's eyes widened as he realized Cody was gone. He turned to Sierra. "Sierra, where is he!?"

"He said he needed some alone time! I wanted to chase him, but Cameron needed me to take pictures. I hope he's okay!" Sierra cried.

"Well find him before—"

"Before what?" Noah continued for him from behind.

"GAH! Gosh, Noah, you scared the crap out of me!"

"And that concerns me how?"

Harold glared. "Like THIS!" He took his leg back and gave it one swift kick to Noah's leg. "Thank the Egyptian gods you weren't kicked to the crotch!"

"What the hell was that for?!" Noah winced.

"That was our deal, Mr. Dave 2.0!"

Somewhere in the distance, Dave rushed in and shouted, "I heard that! And ha, who has the right to make fun of me for drooling over Sky now! I guess we're both idiots."

"No, I was a lovesick idiot. You are a _complete_ idiot. Ugh, so much for the welcome wagon…" Noah grumbled before regaining his posture. "Look, I reviewed my performance, and you were right – I sucked. I could've easily played out our relationship better. Even I was too afraid to come back here because—"

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Mr. Love Bug," Courtney taunted. "I guess your performance on the show clearly defines your true personality."

"Hey, watch it, snob. That was Noah's first time falling in love so cut him some slack!" Emma argued back.

"No, Courtney's right," Noah sighed. "The last thing I wanted to become was Dave, and look where it got me." He turned to Courtney and glared. "But that doesn't mean I hate Emma. She's perfect and despite how full I am of myself… I'm way out of her league. But don't worry, Court, me being back here means I get to take you down all over again. And what's more, I might have a new vice president by my side."

"Aw…" Emma swooned.

"That's ridiculous and I won't let that happen! You and your loser nerd friends are way out of my league. Come on, Ellody," Courtney spat.

"Wow, I didn't know your cousin hated my brother and his friends," Mary commented.

"Ironic isn't it?" Ellody chuckled.

"She'll never change," Noah snickered victoriously. With his arms crossed, he rested them on his sides and began looking around. "Harold, where's Cody?"

"Uh… gone?"

"What do you mean, gone? I just saw him five minutes ago!" Noah argued.

"He needed a bathroom break!" Sierra interjected.

"Is he coming back soon, cause I really want to introduce him to someone," Noah explained.

"Oh, is this the guy you wanted to introduce to Kitty?" Emma teased.

"Guy? Me? Introduce? Where!?" Kitty asked frantically.

"Fat chance, Flat Lindsay, but Cody's gone for the time being," Izzy informed.

Kitty snared. "What's Flat Lindsay supposed to mean?"

"She means you sound like this girl, Lindsay only your-"

"That was a rhetorical question, Emma!"

"Cody can't be absent. I won't allow him to miss out tonight! We have to go find—"

"And now that our welcoming ceremony is finished," Chris began. "We would like to welcome our former president and my personal assistant, Noah, to continue hosting the next upcoming events; it's gonna be a long night!"

"But, Chris, we—"

"Or I can let Courtney take over. Wouldn't that be fun for _everyone_?" Chris grinned evilly, forcing Noah to groan in defeat.

"Fine."

"It's okay, No-No, your friend will come. I'm sure of it!" Emma assured him. Noah's face lit up and kissed her cheek.

"I'm so glad I met you. Let's go."

"You guys go. Sierra and I will look for Cody," Harold ordered.

"Oh no, no, no, there will be none of that! Everyone present at this very moment has to attend. I guess you should've wished you left sooner huh?" Chris chuckled. "We'll all stay out in the courtyard until midnight, everyone, so feel free to party all night long!"

Everyone present in the courtyard cheered on boisterously as music began to pump against every nearby stereo, with Beardo in charge of the entire DJ session.

* * *

Once Noah's speech was over, he was officially repositioned as the university's current president thanks to Izzy's sudden urge to go on a half-hour strike. Once he was off the stage, his smirk later turned into a tired grimace. For most of the night, he made a real smile knowing Emma was by his side. Games were played, and some make out sessions were done here and there

"Ugh, I could've sworn my smile would've become permanent," he groaned while adjusting his jaw. He walked towards the group, consisting of Owen, Emma, Kitty, Harold, Izzy and Sierra. "Well, did you find him?"

"No… either he's too short or I really can't find him!" Harold shouted with frustration. "Leshawna couldn't find him, Mike and Zoey saw him walk away before the ceremony ended. Dawn felt the crowd was one aura short. Alejandro and Heather didn't give two shits about his whereabouts, Gwen subtly couldn't care less, and Samey was my only lead, saying she saw him leave with a cloud over his head!"

"A cloud? I want one, I want one!" Izzy squealed.

"I meant that metaphorically…"

"My Cody detector was confiscated by Chef! He'll PAY for that! Even my Cody senses are no longer working. I guess it's a sign that I'm growing up and only seeing him as a friend. But still, I'm worried!"

"I thought I saw Cody, but then I realized it was this kid named Mickey. Something about the height and the hair made me think it was him," Izzy added.

"I tried asking Geoff, DJ or even Duncan if they bullied Cody and stuffed him in a locker, but they said they didn't know where he went!" Owen continued.

"Wait, Geoff is a jerk!? We trusted him!" Kitty snapped.

"He _was_ a jerk, Kitty," Noah explained. "Thankfully his girlfriend was there to exorcise him from the demonic insanities that were the show itself and Chris' megalomaniacal sadism."

"I did search Cody up online, but Harold didn't want me to show Kitty what he looked like. She's one of those sane kids who doesn't watch Total Drama. Instead, she wastes too much of her time playing video games." Emma rolled her eyes at the last statement.

"Sounds like something Cody would do," Owen whispered in Harold's ear, causing him to chuckle.

"Harold, if Cody was upset, where would you find him?" Noah asked.

Harold scratched his head nervously. "Um… yeah, about that, I kinda let him resolve his problems on his own or with Sierra's help."

Noah glared. "So you literally just abandoned him!?"

"Hey don't blame me! I had a lot of catching up done with my girlfriend, Leshawna. Surely you would understand that." Suddenly, he blinked in shock. "Oh…"

"'Oh', what?"

"I… damn it, I feel awful."

"What're you talking about? You should've felt awful since the day you started ignoring him!"

"Shut up! You'd do the same if you were me. Heck, it would be much worse for you because you make all your time for her than anyone else!"

"Guys, you're scaring me," Emma murmured.

"Are you saying I shouldn't BE with Emma!?" Noah snapped.

"That's not what I meant!" Harold shouted back. "What I'm saying is… he thinks we're leaving him."

"Huh?"

"Look, ladies, it's not your fault. It's not Leshawna's fault, nor Emma's. I… I could've been a better friend. But he was always so pessimistic all the time, more often than usual! Cody's gone through many problems last year, and feeling abandoned by me was one of them." Harold slumped to the floor with his hands over his head. "And now… he's afraid you might do the same."

Noah felt his chest tighten and sighed. He knelt down to Harold's level. "Hey, when you thought I ended up like Dave, did you think I'd lose my shit after Emma rejected me?"

"No, you looked like a sad bulldog. I don't know what's worse," Harold mumbled with his forehead over his knees.

"On second thought, I'll save the pep talk for Cody. If I were Cody, where would I be?"

"Home?" Izzy guessed.

"Yeah!" Sierra agreed. "Cody said he'll be going home."

"No, we only finished building our dorm a few days ago and we didn't duplicate the keys. I'm the one holding them for now," said Harold as he took out the said object before twirling it around his finger.

Sierra gasped. "Hey, I know! Maybe he's somewhere in the campus. He's got to be hiding nearby."

"Maybe… wait, wait, hold up. Even _you_ , of all people, couldn't keep Cody company?" Noah interrogated.

"I… I guess I was also busy with school, plus Cam and I were together for the most part. I kinda forgot about Cody. I… I don't deserve to be his fan anymore!" she wailed.

"Hey, of course you do! Why else would Cody like you?" Owen cooed.

"Huh?"

"He's right, you know. You happened to gain some sanity in there. You're the closest 'gal' pal he has," Noah added.

"And what's a friend and a fan without that bit of insanity? As creeped out as he was towards you during Season 3, I'm sure he's more than used to having you around," Emma continued.

"So you are a fan of the series," Noah teased.

"Only after I met you." Flirted Emma.

"Well, if I was upset," Kitty stepped in. "Then I think I would hide on one of the upper classrooms of the school and wait for someone to comfort me! I got the idea from one of my favorite romantic comics. It never worked for me, but sometimes it felt nice just being alone."

"You may have a point," Noah thought.

"Alright, we'll go search for him. But first, change of plans. Where are Mike and Cam?" Harold asked.

"You called?" Cameron asked with his friends, Mike and Zoey behind him.

"Good timing! Alright, change of plans. Cam, you take this bag. It has everything you need to start the big finish. Izzy, you stay and help. If we're not down in half an hour then go on without us. We'll make sure to make Cody see it with us elsewhere." Harold winked at him, pointing out his cue.

"Got it!" Cameron answered.

"And where is this elsewhere you speak of?" Noah asked dryly.

"I'll figure it out…"

"YAY! Izzy loves setting things on fire!" Izzy squealed.

"I'm a little confused. What's going on?" Mike asked.

"I'll explain later. Just help me set these up," Cameron requested

"Can I help?" Zoey asked.

"Sure! The more contributions the better."

"Awesome!" Harold exclaimed before turning to Sierra. "Sierra, you and Owen go to the canteen fridge. Something's waiting for you there."

"Right, got it!"

"Oh, is there ice cream! Can I have some?" Owen begged.

"You can have my fist until the time is right, buddy!" Sierra threatened.

"Noah, Emma, Kitty, we're looking for Cody. And we'll have to split up; we don't have much time left." Harold ordered.

Noah pulled a serious look and stepped ahead. "Shut up and follow me."

Entering the building, they searched every floor and checked every window of the classroom in search for Cody. The building was ten storeys high, which later brought them fatigue as they checked. Finally, Noah stepped onto the ninth floor and stepped before a small lecture room named J21, a room which the door was left open. Knowing the building's only source of light came from the moonlight, he cautiously stepped in and found Cody sitting on one of the tables against the wall while gazing out the window, with his hands hugging his knees and his face expressionless on his reflection of the glass window.

"Cody," Noah called.

"N-Noah!? What are you—how did you find me?" Cody panicked as he jumped off the table to face his friend. Then again are they even still friends?

"A little bird told me. What are you doing here?"

"Oh, uh… Chef caught me escaping so he kept me in here instead of, you know, out there."

Noah crossed his arms with false interest. "Oh really?"

"Yeah! You know Chef, nothing's changed."

Noah stepped closer towards him and slowly closed the gap between them. It was difficult to see in the dark, and none of the lights turn on without Chris' jurisdiction. Cody slowly backed away until is lower back hit the window sill.

"Y-you're kind of freaking me out…" Cody whimpered. Noah squinted inches before him before leaning back with his arms crossed again.

"You know, your ears turn red when you lie," Noah commented.

Cody blushed slightly at this and lightly shoved Noah before turning his back on him. "You're impossible. Just go be with your girlfriend. I'll be fine, I promise."

"You know, at first I thought you were jealous—"

Cody turned around and snapped. "I AM NOT!"

"Let me finish!" Noah exclaimed sternly, making Cody flinch.

"I can see why you tried to avoid me all day. You're afraid I was going to forget you, am I right?" Noah asked. Cody's shoulders grew tense and kept staring at their shoes. He felt his knees grow weak but fought to stand upright.

"I…"

"Dude, if you're going to respond, then please meet my eyes." Noah commanded. His eyes widened. Upon meeting Cody's gaze, it wasn't the same teal eyes. Something about them seemed gloomier than usual. _How much as he suffered without me being around?_ Instead, he chuckled to try bringing some sort of good mood into the room.

"Do you feel it?" he asked.

Confused yet curious, Cody lifted his head more. "Feel what?"

"The nostalgia."

Cody said nothing and blinked, prompting Noah to shake his head with a smirk.

"Do you remember when I saved you and Harold after you embarrassed me in front of everyone, and you made it up to me by helping me after we talked in one of the classrooms?"

"Yeah…I-I do," Cody answered while slowly recalling the memory.

"That's exactly what it feels like right now, And if it weren't for such an accident, then I never would've been a part of your squad. Did you really think I could forget that?"

"I guess it does. But times have changed. Harold has long since been with LeShawna, and we hardly got to hang out last year because she was so focused on being with her; Sammy and I broke up not long after senior year began since we were both too busy trying to accomplish on our own thing; and now you have Emma.

"I'm not against your relationship or anything… other than being disturbed by how you behaved around her. It's just that even though I'm over trying to woo the ladies, I still wished there was someone out there for me. Sammy saw me as nothing more than a crush, and I'm grateful for that but after we started dating, she didn't feel a single spark.

"And concerning you, I thought we were going to stop being friends and I was used to losing friends all the time. But when it comes to you, I can't bear with the thought! Everyone's forgetting everything about me, including Sierra. Last year, no one bothered to greet me on my birthday, just when I started enjoying the feeling after being neglected by my parents for so long!

"Overall I missed you. A lot. Things haven't been the same without you and I… I'm tired of losing the ones I love to someone else, whether it be relationships, other friends, whatever! Everything raging on in my head has taken its toll on my life – I started flunking at everything, my grades were falling, Harold kept getting mad at me for being too moody, Sierra's been ignoring me over her studies, Duncan and Courtney kept bullying me. Hell, I wanted to take my own life! But instead I waited… I waited for you to come back. I waited for things to change for the better. I kept waiting for this nightmare to be over!" Cody finished. Tears were already pooling out of his eyes and his entire body quivered. He faced the floor once more with his hands balled into fists.

Despite this, he somehow tried to explain further. "I'm sorry… but, I want you to be happy—" Cody was suddenly tackled into a strong embrace that was Noah's. shocked, Cody's shaking hands snaked upon Noah's back and clung onto his vest.

"How the hell can I be happy if I'm going to keep seeing you like this?" came Noah's raspy voice. When Cody comprehended the feeling, he later realized that Noah was crying.

"Are you… crying? Heh, that sounds out of character for you."

"Speak for yourself. I'll never see myself crying for watching anyone else suffer, but to realize that you chose to wait for me instead of taking your own life? You suck," Noah whined. Clearly it was Cody's fault for making him cry so pathetically. Cody chuckled as more tears fell out and coughed out sobs onto his chest. They remained that way for a few minutes before breaking the hug. They both smiled at each other before Noah checked his watch. _…Shit._

"Right, get a hold of yourself, pal. You have to come back to the courtyard," Noah chuckled.

"I look like a mess right now, plus there's nothing particularly interesting about the events going on down there anyway. You know how cheap Chris can be."

"Are you sure? Hold that thought." Noah grabbed his vibrating mobile and answered Harold's incoming call.

 _"Dude! Where are you? We couldn't find Cody anywhere!"_

"I just found him," Noah half-lied. "J21"

 _"But that's on the ninth floor!"_

"Move it, Chickenlegs!" Noah retorted and hung up before Harold could answer back.

"Was that Harold? Who else is looking for me?" Cody asked.

"Everyone who loves you. And I have to apologize for my behavior on the show. Even I cringed at myself," Noah winced.

"Don't be sorry… I was just a little freaked out," Cody giggled.

Noah checked his watch once again. _We're not gonna make it out there_ , he thought. "On second thought, I don't mind staying here with you. You look like you could use the right amount of company." Additionally, Cody looked breathtaking from the moonlight, which outlined half of his physique.

"Thanks. You know, I wanted to tell you guys about my birthday, but I don't think it matters anymore. Just spending the day with you and Harold like any normal day is good enough for me."

"Is that so? Because I wanted to make it up to you after missing your birthday last year," Noah said almost teasingly.

Cody caught up to him and smirked playfully. "Oh yeah, how?"

Noah inched towards him and grabbed his shoulders. Cody smiled nervously while Noah smirked knowingly. Just when Cody's shoulders relaxed against his touch, Noah gently turned him around.

"That's how."

The clock struck twelve, and it was far from New Year's Day. In the distance, outside their window, fireworks painted the night sky. Neon colors formed various floral shapes. And is that an emu-shaped firework he saw!? Incredible! Cody's lips fell open and his smile grew wider. Never had he seen fireworks so close before. The moment his face popped up on one of the fireworks, he felt Noah's presence stand by him next to the glass window. Noah stared at Cody's reflection and smiled warmly, something Cody may never see again for a long time.

"Happy Birthday, Cody," Noah greeted softly.

Cody was brought to tears once again. He turned his head to face Noah with a visible blush on his tear-stained cheeks. "Thank you," he breathed as he wiped a tear from his eye. "I… I love it! I love—"

"CODY, THERE YOU ARE!" Harold screamed as he barged into the room. "Oh, thank gosh you saw the fireworks… This day has gone way differently than the way I planned it."

"Cody! Happy birthday!" Sierra stepped in second, with a chocolate cake in her hands, topped off with _actual_ candles this time. Owen came behind her, drooling at the cake she held.

"I'm surprised you searched for him here by yourself, Noah. The darkness is just too unnerving," Emma came in next.

"That simply proves I'm worthy enough to protect you." Noah took her hands in his and kissed them. He glanced in Cody's direction and pulled Emma with him. "Emma, this is Cody."

"Nice to meet you, Cody! I hope you're not at all disturbed by me… or us," Emma greeted.

"Not really. I think you're perfect for each other. I'm not kidding," Cody greeted back.

"Aww, I'm glad! It was so nice of your friend to give me a scholarship for the law degree at this school. Let's hope it's worth it."

Cody crossed his fingers and smiled. "Here's to hoping!"

"Thanks!"

"Guys! I recorded the fireworks on my phone in case Cody missed it," Kitty stepped in last.

"Where were you, Kits?" Emma asked worriedly.

"Eighth floor. The view was great regardless!"

Noah smirked and took Cody's hand, leading him towards the taller girl. "Kitty, meet Cody, the birthday boy."

The two froze in front of each other, barely blinking as their eyes met. Emma and Owen stared in shock, while Harold smirked knowingly. Sierra simply grinned in awe knowing her jealousy was long gone.

"Uh… hello, earth to both of you," Noah chuckled.

"Oh, h-hey," Cody greeted with his hand raised slightly.

"H-hi," Kitty greeted back shyly.

"Hello?" Cody greeted again.

Kitty gasped. "NO WAY! You know HeyHiHello?!"

"Only one of the coolest boy bands out there," Cody answered.

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh! What songs have you listened to?" Kitty squealed.

"Alright, save the get-together for later. Make a wish, Codester," Emma laughed.

"Oh, wish for a real emu!" Sierra suggested.

"More cake!" said Owen.

"Wish for a new supercomputer!" Harold added.

"Or more fireworks!" yelled Izzy.

Harold jumped. "WHEN DID YOU GET HERE?!"

"Wish for Harold to stop talking," Noah chuckled, making Emma laugh and Harold sneer.

"Or make a wish where you'll get a good girlfriend!" Kitty finished.

"Alright, thanks you guys, but I think I got it." Cody closed his eyes for a moment before blowing out the candles. Everyone in the room clapped and cheered. It wasn't a big birthday bash like Cody always wanted, but it was with those he wanted to celebrate it with. The night ended with more than half of the students outside the school getting wasted while the rest remained tired yet sober. Noah was introduced to his new dorm, while Emma and Kitty were welcomed into a dorm neighboring the Nerds'. In the end, Cody went to sleep with a memory he'll never forget and a wish that's already coming to effect: a wish where he can keep only his true friends and a girlfriend for life.

* * *

 **An advanced happy birthday to Cody Anderson, everyone! This chapter could've gone better… I'll admit. I wanted to introduce more of the TDRR characters but that would increase the word count even more. But if you guys want additional info, Sanders and MacArthur are part-time cops or security guards at the university, Jacques and Josee are one of the sports/gymnastics club founders and the daters are the main staff of the university gym itself. Kelly got a job as an art teacher since it was mentioned that she did take art classes before having Taylor. The tennis players are more like referees or coaches in the tennis club, even coaching and playing with Chris occasionally. That's all I can say for now. I'm sorry if this chapter looks a bit too sappy to you. But like I said, I can easily prove that NoDy (bromance) and Nemma (romance) do mix. :D It's just a matter of writing it out properly. Then again… I hate to admit that the characters are a bit OOC. Hopefully they're not too OOC but Noah's changed. After meeting Emma, he's bound to have a softer side from now on. We'll see how they go in the next episode or two.**

 **Have a good day everyone and 'Episode 2' will be out soon.**


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